Jharsuguda to get airport by May 2018

Bhubaneswar: Chairman of Airport Authority of India (AAI), Guru Prasad Mohapatra during a meeting on Tuesday said that the proposed plan of Jharsuguda airport in Odisha will be completed by May 2018. He said it is a joint project developed by AAI and the state government.

Earlier, the state government had signed an agreement with AAI to develop the airport with an estimated cost of Rs 210 crore by allotting a land of around 106.23 acres, out of which the government land proportion is 51.8 acres and that of private is 54.43 acres. As per sources, the government would fund Rs 75 crore while the rest would be funded by the AAI towards the development of the airport.

Further Mohapatra said, under the project, a modular designed passenger terminal would be made with handling capacity of 300 passengers including 150 for arrival and 150 for departure.

District Collector of Jharsuguda, Bibhuti Pattnaik said that tender has already been issued towards road construction to the airport.

The meeting chaired by the chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi along with other officials of AAI and the state government focused on various issues relating to road connectivity to the airport, land acquisition, strengthening of runway, taxi way, control tower and staff quarters.